If Angels are Fairytales, Dean is a Prince
by Kanoi-chan
Summary: Sequel to Angels Fall on Playgrounds. It's senior year of high school for Dean, Castiel, and Charlie. It's the year that everything should look bright and shiny and perfect, what with their whole lives ahead of them and all. Instead, it's messy, filled with drugs, fights, and unrequited love.
1. Chapter 1

So this is the sequel to "Angels Fall on Playgrounds." It involves a huge time jump, as this is a high school fic, though I'm sure I will reference childhood moments plenty (I have at least one scene planned where that is really important). This is part 2 of the When You Were Young series, and will be a decently long fic.

Huge thank you to my beta, PharoComics!

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural. If I did, my obsession with end!verse-inspired!Cas would probably have come through lol.

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><p>Summer before senior year is a surprisingly lonely one for Castiel. He spends most of it sitting at home, rereading postcards from his wayward mother. Charlie does her best to see him as much as she can, but between her normal travels with her family and the time she dedicates (most understandably) to her girlfriend Dorothy, it isn't as much as either of them would like. Dean, however, basically falls off the face of the planet in the couple of months that they aren't in school. He'd begun dating the unequivocally perfect Anna Milton towards the end of junior year, and, as such, has been up her ass ever since. He barely so much as speaks to Cas all summer, and the couple of times they do make plans, Dean bails last minute to go see Anna, with nothing more than a shot out text of "You understand."<p>

He does understand. He understands that Dean tends to think with his dick more than his brain, and he understands that sometimes it is very hard to be friends with someone like that. And Cas finds himself starting to resent Anna, which isn't really fair because he actually likes her. She's smart and kind and gorgeous, to boot (which often leaves Charlie and Cas pondering just what, exactly, she sees in Dean). It isn't her fault that Dean is being an awful friend, as Dean has always been the type to do whatever he wants. It is simply a fact that, up until this point, most of the time 'doing what he wants' included Castiel. But as stated, Anna Milton is perfect, so Cas can kind of see why Dean is hooked.

So, summer before senior year has an interesting, if not altogether awful, sense of melancholy about it, and instead of amping Cas up for his last year of high school, he instead finds himself wholly dreading it. Yet, somehow, he still finds himself being dragged to a party at Lisa Braeden's house the last weekend before they're due back in school (no one can ever make him admit that Charlie's winning argument had been that Dean will be there).

When they get there, the house is full to bursting, and Castiel can't help musing that it's a wonder the police haven't shown already. Dorothy claims it has something to do with Lisa's father's place in the local government, which Charlie and Cas are more than willing to accept as fact.

It's all terribly unexciting in the way that high school parties are, between horny couples hooking up in dark corners and warm beer being the beverage of choice. Still, Cas will always find himself grateful for warm beer in the absence of anything stronger, so he finds himself oscillating between standing against walls with a drink in hand and dancing with Charlie and Dorothy. Dean doesn't show up until about an hour and a half after they get there (and if Cas was counting, which he most assuredly was **not**, he would be able to say it had been exactly one hour and thirty-seven minutes). Anna is, surprisingly and unsurprisingly, absent (it's surprising in the sense that to see Dean without her is an oddity now-a-days, but unsurprising because perfect Anna Milton would never be caught dead at a place where underage students were drinking). Dean casually strolls up to them, high-fiving and greeting all the usual suspects along the way, and he seems so wholly unaware of what a bad friend he's been that it almost makes Cas's blood boil.

When Dean finally reaches them and, smiling obliviously, greets them with, "Hey guys, long time no see, how's it going?" Charlie, at least, has the good graces to grimace.

Dorothy, walking poster child of confidence that she is, takes the reins and answers, "We're at a party, genius, how do you think?" But she says it with a coy smile, so Dean just laughs in _yeah, you're right_ kind of way. Leave it to Dorothy to be passive-aggressive and leave the victim none the wiser.

"Where's Anna?" Charlie asks.

Dean shrugs good-naturedly. "At home. You know Anna."

Cas wants desperately to point out that, yes, he does know Anna, that he knew Anna before any of them, actually, as they are in all the honors classes together and went to church together their whole lives up until Cas stopped going. He wants to point out that Anna doesn't come to these parties not because she is against the underage fraternization, but because she has an image in the town to keep up (he knows she isn't against it because in freshman and sophomore year, the two of them had spent plenty of weekends at her older boyfriend's frat house, getting wasted in every sense of the word, though Cas is sure he's the only one that knows that, as Luke has long since been a thing of the past and she'd hid his existence well to begin with). He also wants to point out that if he'd known Dean was going to be such a bad friend after they started dating, that he never would have introduced them to begin with (because how else would someone like Dean Winchester get on Anna Milton's radar other than through a mutual friend).

So, instead of commenting, Cas doesn't respond at all, letting the girls do all the talking as he takes a long pull of his beer. This only works so long before Dean starts shooting him questioning glances before finally straight out asking, "Dude, what's wrong with you?"

It takes everything Cas has to bite his tongue, already loosened by the cheap booze, but he can't manage to stifle the glare. He knows Charlie and Dorothy are both waiting with baited breath to see how this plays out, wondering if they'll have to field a fight between the two.

Cas saves them the trouble, grumbling, "I need some fresh air," before stalking off to the Braeden's back deck.

Despite the din around them, he can perfectly hear Dean's "What the fuck is his problem?" What he can't hear quite so clearly is Charlie's response, though he's sure she's chewing Dean out on his behalf.

He downs the rest of his beer on the way to the door, grabbing another bottle before heading outside. Popping the cap, he leans against the deck's railing, pointedly ignoring the rutting couples around him and wishing he had something stronger in his hand besides the beer. He manages about ten minutes outside before someone invades his personal space. Expecting it to be Charlie, he's surprised to find an oddly familiar looking blonde girl leaning with her back against the railing and smiling at him.

"You look like you could use a pick-me-up," she says, expression turning compassionate. When he remains silent, she extends her hand for a handshake. "April Kelly."

Castiel squints at her, slowly extending his own hand to take hers. It must look as unnatural as it feels because then April is laughing at him.

"You have a name to go with that brooding face?" she asks.

"Castiel Shurley." After a beat, he adds, "You look familiar." And she does, though not in the way someone from school might.

"I work at the Applebee's in town," she offers helpfully, and he thinks that must be it, so he nods, offering a small, "Ah."

She suddenly pushes off the railing, setting a heavy gaze on him. "So since you look like you're having about as much fun as a bag of wet cats, and I'm feeling about the same, what do you say we get out of here?"

In the span of about ten seconds Castiel goes from thinking to all the reasons he should say no ("my friends are still here", "I don't know you", "I can't reciprocate your advances") to thinking of ridiculous green eyes to agreeing because he doesn't think he can face anymore of Dean tonight (nor does he want to face any of Charlie's attempts at bridging the gap between the two boys).

They slip back through the house, specifically avoiding the living room turned dance floor at Cas's request, and once they reach the sanctuary of April's old, blue Honda, only then does he pull out his phone to shoot Charlie a text saying he isn't feeling well and went home. They're about halfway down the road when Charlie's response of "hope u feel better. call if u need anythng" comes through, but he doesn't respond and simply pockets his phone once more.

Cas doesn't even bother to ask April where they're going, instead choosing to just sit and listen to the low murmur of the radio playing the new hit song of the week. After about a forty-five minute drive, they pull up at a park in the next town over.

She reaches over, and, for a brief moment, he's afraid she's actually going to grope him, but, instead, her hand goes down under the passenger seat and she pulls out a paper bag containing what is obviously a bottle. When she sits back up, she smiles nervously.

"Anna told me that you liked to party, so I kind of just assumed... should I not have?"

Cas squints at her, even more perplexed. "Anna?"

April visibly swallows, nodding. "Yeah. We're in bible study together."

And that's when it dawns on Castiel just why April looks so familiar. "We went to church together."

April's smile widens a little, but it does nothing to break up the nervousness on her face. "Yeah, but... it's been years, and we weren't in the same youth group, so I get you not remembering."

His face pinches into a frown. "Still, I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

She quickly shakes her head. "No, no! You're fine."

Awkward silence falls between them, giving Cas just enough time to ponder that Anna was talking about him and did April know that Anna 'likes to party, too?' before April clears her throat. He looks over, and she lifts the bottle slightly. "So...?"

Well, hadn't he just been wishing for something stronger at the party? So he offers her a small, half-smile.

"Why not?"

As it turns out, there is a different sort of party going on at the park, one that assures Cas that April does indeed know about Anna's habit since the redhead is sitting with a group of people, passing a joint off to a blonde guy to her right. He can't help raising an eyebrow at her as he walks up.

"Surprised to see you here."

She glances up at him through her eyelashes. eyes rimmed red. "Well, everyone from school is at Lisa's."

Of course that's it. With the rest of the school preoccupied, Anna can hang out with the stoners.

He frowns down at her. "Does Dean know where you are?"

She smiles prettily up at him. "I won't tell if you don't."

He huffs out a laugh because, of course, Dean doesn't know, but instead of brooding over just what Dean would think about his best friend and his girlfriend skulking about in the woods in the next town over to get high, he sits down on Anna's left, snatches the flask from her lap, and takes a swig, wincing at the sharp burn of the tequila.

"Really, Anna?"

She shrugs, taking another hit off the joint before passing it to him. "It works in a pinch."

And Cas supposes it does. "Did you send April to get me?"

"I figured I was saving you?"

He narrows his eyes at her. "As flattering as it is that you thought of me, what makes you think I want to be here any more than I wanted to be there?" He doesn't ask what he wanted to, which is where was this so-called consideration all summer while she'd been hogging his best friend.

"Because I'm pretty sure you're mad at Dean. I would be." She turns to face him fully. "Castiel, you have to know that I tried to tell him he should spend time with you when I found out he was blowing you off. He just said you understood, though."

And of course, this is the reason Cas couldn't stay mad at perfect, beautiful Anna Milton. He's known Anna long enough and well enough to know she isn't really a deceitful harpy, despite how much her double life might imply it.

She's staring at him with wide, hazel eyes, silently imploring for his forgiveness (because as much as he prefers Dean and Charlie's company, Anna is his friend too, more so than people realize, the two of them having clung to each other in the times that meeting their families' expectations proved too much), so he softly bumps her shoulder with his. "Next time you want to kidnap me, be sure to bring better alcohol."

She smiles brilliantly at him. "Noted."

They spend the rest of the night getting high and drunk, and in the morning he's left wondering how he even made it home as he wakes up in his own bed with the hangover from Hell.

He checks his phone to find two texts, one from an unknown number that says "Hope you feel ok. Had fun last night tho. Txt me sometime ;)" He shoots a text back asking who this is, and then attends to the second message which is from Dean and reads "sry man. charlie n i talked last night n she told me what an ass i was all summer. can u forgive me?"

Castiel sighs, his head hurting far too much for this right now. He ponders ignoring it for awhile, but instead sends a text back saying "it's ok. i understand. we'll talk later. not feeling well today." The response is immediate- "thats cool. hope u feel better. call me whn u do?" He quickly responds that he will, and just as he's about to roll over and go back to sleep, his phone vibrates again.

It's the unknown number this time, and all it says is "Balthazar."


	2. Chapter 2

Dean's summer rocks, all the way up until Friday night. He spends it mostly with Anna, who he honestly can't thank Cas enough for introducing him to. She's beautiful, smart, and a firecracker in the bedroom (or the back of the Impala, as the case often is). Sam is a little shit who constantly cracks jokes about _What in the world does she see in you, Dean?_, and while Dean knows his little brother is only giving him a hard time, it cuts deeper than he'd like to admit. Anna Milton is perfection in a pale-skinned, redheaded package, and he knows she probably wouldn't have ever given him the time of day if not for Castiel talking him up. Dean doesn't know how he got lucky enough to have the perfect Anna Milton as a girlfriend and the perfect Castiel Shurley as a best friend. Don't get him wrong, he loves Charlie, but they're both pretty low on the totem pole of high school (and life).

Dean and Charlie are Grade-A nerds, and they fly that flag pretty proudly. Charlie, at least, has a leg up on Dean in that she's incredibly smart, to boot, but she's also happens to be gay. Dean doesn't mind it one lick. Charlie is awesome, and the two of them often find themselves commiserating over relationship woes and porn. High school and a small town, however, aren't quite as kind to Charlie. She never seems to mind though. Dean kind of admires her for that, wishing he had half the guts and confidence she does. But it remains that they fall pretty low on that totem pole.

Castiel and Anna, though? They're fucking paragons of the community. Cas likes to claim he's nothing of the sort, but Dean is quick to disagree. The only things that bring Cas down is that he insists on continuing to hang around Dean and Charlie (which Dean will never not count his lucky stars for) and that he stopped going to church a few years back (which Dean doesn't think impacts that much, but Cas claims different). Otherwise? Castiel Shurley is every bit as out of his league as Anna Milton. They're both so fucking smart it hurts, neither of them in a single one of the basic classes with Dean. Nope. They're full-blown honors and AP class, Ivy League school bound geniuses. Dean isn't bothered by that though, since he knows they both work their asses off for it. Dean has sat around enough summers with Cas while he studies (and then done the same with Anna this summer) to know it.

On top of the brains, they're both Grade-A hotties in their own right, and could have their pick of anyone in the school. Oddly, the both of them seldom date. Anna told Dean early on that he was only like her second boyfriend or something (though whoever her last boyfriend had been must have taught her a lot because hot damn), and Dean is certain that he's never seen Cas have an interest in anyone (though he's seen plenty of pretty girls bat their eyelashes at the oblivious guy, and Dean swears he isn't jealous of the attention).

And then there's the fact that both of them know basically everyone in the town due to the community church. They're the apple of the whole town's eye, neither one of them ever once getting into an ounce of trouble. They're gorgeous, well-liked, straight-A students that every parent in Lawrence tells their kids to look up and aspire to.

So yeah, Cas and Anna are perfection on legs, bound for so much more than their small town of Lawrence, and Dean is glad for every day they don't seem to realize they're too good for him.

But the last Friday before senior year, Lisa Braeden throws a giant house party. Normally, Dean would be all for a chance to get three-sheets-to-the-wind wasted before he has to start back to homework and tests, but this year is a little different. He knows before he even asks that Anna won't go. Anna Milton does not go to parties, and that's one large difference between her and Cas. Cas will at least attend and act like a somewhat normal high school student, but Anna swears that the "underage fraternization" is what separates those that get accepted to Brown from those that go to KU.

He asks all the same, but, of course, she says no (_It's the weekend before school, Dean, I have to make sure I get prepared_). He almost doesn't go himself, but Charlie talks him into it, saying things like _come on, it's senior year! _and _we've barely hung out all summer_, so he goes.

When he gets there, the party is already in full swing, so it takes him a moment to stake out Charlie and Dorothy, and he's pleasantly surprised to find Cas there as well. He was a little worried the guy was going to pull the same thing as Anna and stay in because school is starting in two more days.

He realizes as he comes up to them that it really has been awhile since they all hung out, and says as much himself. "Hey guys, long time no see, how's it going?"

Dorothy responds, "We're at a party, genius, how do you think?" Her delivery is a little snippy, but Dean doesn't think anything of it; that's just how Dorothy is. There was a time they didn't get along at all, her calling Dean a neanderthal, and him calling her stuck up, but once they both realized they were stuck with each other via Charlie, they figured out how to get along. That doesn't mean they don't still give each other a hard time though.

And he figures she's right about the party- of course it's going well. There's booze and loud music- Lisa's parties are the stuff of high school legend. He's always had a good time at Lisa's (and sometimes with Lisa, though that won't be happening now), and he's prepared to do that tonight until Charlie reminds him of why he almost didn't come, asking, "Where's Anna?"

It's a like a punch to the gut, but he tries to shrug it off, act like it doesn't bother him one bit that his girlfriend would rather be out studying than out with him on the last weekend before school. But he supposes he did hoard a lot of her time this summer, so he can't be too upset. "You know Anna."

Charlie shoots him a sympathetic look. "Won't even come to a party for you?"

She really isn't helping him feel any better, but he shrugs again. "I mean, it's not a big deal. Everyone knows Anna doesn't party, and we spent enough time together this summer. She deserves some time to do her thing, you know?"

Charlie and Dorothy both nod before Dorothy asks, "So did you get the summer reading done?"

"Are we seriously talking about homework at a party?" Charlie whines.

"Yes, because unlike **some people**," Dorothy emphasizes the statement with a hard look at her girlfriend, "some of us actually have to make an effort."

Charlie pulls a face. "I make an effort."

Dorothy rolls her eyes. "Yeah, in breaking into the school records to change your grades."

"Exactly!" Charlie chirps with a bounce and a flick of her hair. "I earned those grades through hard work. Maybe just not the kind of hard work the teachers intended."

Dean can't help laughing at the couple because damn. They really are a blast to be around.

Dorothy finally stops shaking her head at Charlie and turns her attention back to Dean. "So, the reading, you do it?"

"Yeah," he responds, sticking his tongue out. "Anna made sure of it."

Charlie laughs good-naturedly. "Man, you're so whipped."

Dean just flips her the bird, grinning at her the whole while. "Like you're not."

She laughs with a, "Screw you, Winchester."

He just grins wider, and then turns his attention to Cas. "What about you, Cas? Anna said you guys had some rough stuff this year."

But Cas doesn't answer. He's glowering at his beer bottle instead. As a matter of fact, he's been suspiciously quiet the whole night, didn't even say hey when Dean walked up. It kind of pisses Dean off, actually, because the alternative is to feel bad, and he already has enough insecurity where Cas and Anna are concerned that he doesn't want to dwell on that tonight.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" he finally asks. The last thing he expects is the vicious glare Cas sets on him, so harsh it knocks the breath out of Dean. They stare at each other for what feels like hours, awkward silence crackling between them, completely oblivious to the party raging around them.

Finally, Cas looks away, grumbling, "I need some fresh air," before stalking off.

He can't help feeling hurt, but the Dean Winchester way of dealing with feelings is to get angry. "What the fuck is his problem?"

Charlie rounds on him, expression like a thunder cloud over water. "Seriously, Winchester!?"

He backs down a bit in the face of a pissed off Bradbury (because damn if Charlie didn't get her mother's temper). "What!?" Because really? What the hell is going on here?

"You ignored him like all summer! His feelings are hurt!"

"I did not!"

"Really? Then when was the last time you saw him?" Charlie puts her hands on her hips in an expression of _go on, prove me wrong, I dare you_.

And he hates to admit it, but when he actually thinks about it, he realizes he actually hasn't **seen** Cas since school ended. He glances at Dorothy who is no help at all because she just shrugs at him, giving him the _you-done-fucked-up-Winchester_ look.

She nods her head at his silence. "And how many times did you blow him off for Anna?"

**That **one bothers him. "He said he understood!"

Charlie rolls her eyes so hard he's momentarily concerned they're going to get stuck in the back of her head. "**Of course** he said he understood! It's Cas! He isn't going to tell you he's upset over something like that."

"Well why the hell not!?"

Charlie lets out the most exasperated noise. "Seriously! Do you even know him!? **He** set you and Anna up! He isn't going to come between you guys! God! Some best friends you are!"

That one goes straight through his heart because she's right. They've been best friends since they were four, but yet he somehow missed this. He refuses to take all the blame, though, because after fourteen fucking years Cas should have learned how to fucking tell Dean he was mad at him!

Dean doesn't stay much longer, suddenly altogether not in the partying mood. He was managing without Anna by his side, but now with Cas pissed at him, he isn't managing anything. Without evening having one beer, he climbs back into his car and heads straight home, curling up in his bed (thankfully, no one is still awake to question what he's doing home so early). He contemplates texting Anna, but decides against it. She's probably busy doing her brainiac thing, and Dean doesn't want to get in the way of that. It's a pounding reminder that he isn't good enough for two of the people he cares most about.

He spends the whole night tossing and turning, his brain refusing to shut off. At some point around five, sleep drunk and delirious, he texts Cas an apology. He agonizes over it, not wanting to come off too clingy, but wanting Cas to know that he knows he screwed up. He finally settles on _sry man. charlie n i talked last night n she told me what an ass i was all summer. can u forgive me?_

He goes down for breakfast not too long after. When he still hasn't heard from Cas after eating, he sends Anna a text saying "wat u up to 2day babe?"

Anna doesn't respond either.

It's about ten in the morning when he finally hears back from Cas, "it's ok. i understand. we'll talk later. not feeling well today." He feels guilty somehow, unsure if Cas really does feel bad or if he's avoiding him. He wants to ask Cas if he should come over, but something stops him. He doesn't want to bother Cas if he doesn't want to see him, so instead he responds, "thats cool. hope u feel better. call me whn u do?" He feels a little better when Cas says he will.

It's about another two hours later when Anna texts him back saying, "not feeling well. Gonna stay in bed. sry."

Dean sends back "hope u feel better soon. dont want you to miss the frst day of school".

Anna sends back "lol god no".

So Dean goes and pesters Sam until the kid agrees to have a Star Wars marathon with him to distract him from his loneliness (but of course he doesn't tell Sammy that's why, instead opting to act like he's doing the kid a favor).

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><p>This is going to be how this story is told- alternating POVs of the same events. I recently read <em>Dean Winchester is a Gay Virgin<em> by bettydays (which, btw, if you haven't yet read, you should, as well as everything else she's ever written; you can find her over on AO3), which also uses the tactic. I fell in love with the idea and realized it was the perfect way I wanted to tell this story. Despite the overlap in content, though, I'm hoping it doesn't get too repetitive.

Also, huge thanks to pharocomics, without whom, this was basically illegible.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you to pharocomics for being my lovely beta!_

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><p>After recovering from his hangover, Castiel spends the whole weekend texting with Balthazar, and while Cas may not be able to remember Friday night, Balthazar at least seems to. After he initially assuages Cas's fears that he made an absolute ass of himself (or was an absolute slut), the two of them wind up endlessly discussing a wide variety of topics, staying up late into the evening both nights, even Sunday night before school starts.<p>

Balthazar's family moved to Lawrence at the start of the summer, so he'll be starting his senior year at Lawrence High School. His family moved in next door to Anna's, which explains how he knows her. He isn't quite so sure how he got Anna to open up about her recreational activities though.

("oh she didnt. Met april & she invited me" is the response Castiel gets when he asks, followed shortly by "but dont worry. I know it's a secret i'm supposed 2 take to the grave.")

In all the excitement of talking to Balthazar, Castiel completely forgets to call Dean.

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><p>"Hey, sleepy head, wake up. It's class time, not sleep time," Anna scolds as she pokes Cas in the side with the eraser of her pencil.<p>

"Bell hasn't rang yet," he grumbles, burying his face further into the cushion of his arms.

"Why are you so tired, anyway?"

Cas groans, covering his head with his arms in a last ditch effort to block Anna out.

"Does it have anything to do with a sexy Brit?" she sing-songs.

Cas raises his arm enough to peek out at Anna. "A sexy Brit?"

"Balthazar?"

"He's British?... Huh." And then he's hiding back in the arm cocoon.

"What do you mean 'huh'!?" She leans closer to whisper, "You guys were certainly all buddy-buddy Friday night."

Castiel finally sits up enough to talk to Anna, giving up on ignoring her and getting a few more moments of rest. "Anna, while this may come as a shock to you, I don't remember anything from Friday after your shitty flask of tequila."

She has the good graces to wince. "Yeah. That makes sense."

"The only reason I know who he is at all is because he texted me the next morning. We've been talking all weekend."

Anna's perfect eyebrows knit together shrewdly. "All weekend?"

"Yes."

She purses her lips. "You know you forgot to call Dean, right?"

Castiel can't respond to that, far too busy slamming his head against the desk to deign a response.

* * *

><p>"So that must have been some bug, huh?" Charlie asks, sliding into her seat next to Cas. AP Physics is one of the only classes the two share together (the other being AP Calculus, last class of the day).<p>

"You have no idea," Castiel groans.

After Anna's reminder that he had, in fact, neglected Dean all weekend, and his resultant head injury (he wouldn't be surprised if he is concussed), Castiel has been oscillating between awful guilt and righteous validation. Plus a killer headache that refuses to go away. Seriously, he's sure he's concussed.

"Still not feeling well?"

Cas glances out of the corner of his eye at Charlie, and her expression is all concern and sympathy. He feels guilty immediately. Even if Dean is possibly deserving of his lies, Charlie most certainly isn't.

"If guilt is an illness, then yes."

She quirks an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Heaving a sigh, he formulates the least incriminating version of the story possible. "I met someone Friday night."

"No way!" Charlie is staring at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. When he doesn't immediately offer up any more information, she starts whacking him in the arm. "Well go on! Out with it! Tell me about her!"

Cas tries not to grimace, but figures if he does he can just pull it off as a reaction to his headache and Charlie's rather violent display. "Why are you hitting me?"

"Because! This is **huge**! You never meet people!"

He settles an unamused look on her.

She immediately turns sheepish. "Sorry." Settling back into her seat, she continues a little more calmly, "I'm just saying I'm excited. Come on, I'm one of your best friends. Don't you want to talk about it?"

"The suggestive eye waggle is highly unnecessary." He glances shyly at her. "But yes... I guess I do."

Anna is great and all, but nothing beats talking to his best friends about the exciting things in life, and Balthazar definitely counts among those. Besides, Charlie is gay, so he figures maybe she can relate a little more.

Unfortunately, the teacher walks in and the bell rings before he actually gets the chance to tell her anything.

"After class, Shurley," she hisses, all conspiratorial smiles.

He smiles back and nods.

* * *

><p>As they're packing up their things after class, Charlie is quick to bump Cas's shoulder. "Soooo...?"<p>

Castiel smiles coyly at her. "So what?"

She rolls her eyes. "Don't play smart with me, Shurley, you know what. Tell me about this mystery person! Like now! You know, before we get to lunch and all the party poopers rain on our parade?"

"You know one of those 'party poopers' is your girlfriend, right?"

She shrugs noncommittally. "Yeah, so? Just cuz I love her doesn't mean she can't be a party pooper. After all, that's why she has me around!"

With a laugh he says, "Yes, the party don't start until you walk in."

She winks. "Damn straight. I'm Kesha, baby!" The two of them laugh loudly, attracting more than a few curious stares before they finally calm down again. "So anyway! Enough stalling! Tell me about this mystery person."

"His name is Balthazar."

"Whoa whoa whoa! **He**!? **I knew you batted for our team**!"

He winces at her volume, face flushing red as people start staring again. "Charlie, please."

Charlie, for her part, seems completely unashamed. "So what's he like!?"

Blush still burning hotly, he says, "Nice, funny, debonair. He's new to town. Well, sort of. His family moved here at the beginning of the summer."

"Sounds dashing! When do I get to meet him? You know Queen Charlie has to approve of all potential love interests!"

Cas smiles at her. "Um... I'm not sure? We haven't even been on one date yet. We just spent the whole weekend talking."

Charlie's eyes about bug out of her head. "Wait! Is this why you blew off Dean!?"

"Does **everyone** know about that?" he groans, wanting badly to bury his face in his hands but unable to due to the books already taking up residence there.

Charlie gives him a look that's settled somewhere halfway between an apologetic smile and a grimace. "He was pretty bothered about it, yeah. Said you told him you weren't feeling well, promised to call him, and then never did. He thought you were really sick, Cas."

Guilt and anger wage a war in his chest, but neither seems willing to relent, so instead he says, "In my defense, I was pretty sick."

"I'm not sure hangovers count, especially when they're well deserved cuz you lied to your friends."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Charlie. I really do feel bad for that."

"Well, I forgive you, at least. How can I hold you finding a hot piece of tail against you?"

"Thanks."

"He better be hot enough to warrant it, though," she mock threatens.

Cas just laughs because he's actually kind of hoping the same.

"What up, losers?"

Castiel and Charlie both stumble as Dorothy comes up behind them and throws her arms over their shoulders.

"Cas here bats for our team," is Charlie's way of greeting.

"You don't say." Dorothy is giving him an assessing look, as though she's analyzing him for quality control of the gay population of Lawrence High.

"Found himself a hot, new kid in town."

Dorothy grins proudly at him. "Well good for you!"

The rest of the walk to the cafeteria is spent discussing how the first day is going so far, as well as Dorothy and Charlie regaling Castiel with tales of what happened and who did who at the party Friday night.

When they finally get their food and sit at their normal table, Dean and Anna are already sitting there. The couple stops talking as soon as the trio sits down, Anna smiling in greeting and Dean shooting Cas a worried look.

"So you're feeling better then?" he asks.

Castiel swallows around the sudden lump in his throat as he feels all eyes boring into him. "Yeah. I am. Sorry I never called you. It kind of slipped away from me."

Guilt finally wins the war as a look of hurt flashes across Dean's face even as he says, "Hey, it's cool, man. I understand."

Castiel is starting to think 'I understand' is some new code word for 'you're a sucky friend and I'm really upset with you.' Honestly, when did it get this hard to talk to his best friend?

Charlie clears her throat. "So! How was your weekend, Anna?"

The other redhead smiles prettily. "It was nice. Relaxing. Felt a little under the weather myself on Saturday, but pepped back up quick enough."

Even as Dean is saying, "Maybe something is going around?" Charlie is shooting a skeptical look at Cas and Anna, but perfect Anna Milton's act is unshakeable.

"Maybe. Could just be the weather changing," is her completely natural sounding response. "But hey, can never be too careful, right?"

"Dean, how was your weekend?" Castiel asks, not letting the awkward lull that wants to fall into the conversation happen. He's not sure why he's so desperate to cover for Anna, except that he guesses he's also covering for himself. He doesn't think he can feel more like the scum of the Earth.

Dean shrugs. "Eh, boring as hell. Watched Sammy run himself ragged to get ready for the start of school. Thought the kid was gonna have a cow about his binders not being properly color coordinated."

Charlie shakes her head. "Man, sometimes he's too smart for his own good."

Dean beams proudly. "Yep. He got the brains in the outfit, that's for sure. Least I got the looks though?"

Dorothy quirks an eyebrow and smirks. "You so sure about that?"

"Hey!"

And just like that they're all laughing, all traces of awkwardness completely forgotten. They all fall into easy conversation until a tall, blond boy walks up to their table. Cas can't help but think 'swaggers' might be the more appropriate term.

The newcomer's blue eyes fall first on perfect Anna Milton. "Anna, dear, I was wondering if I could sit with you and your friends, seeing as how I don't know anyone else here."

Anna smiles up at him. "Sure."

Castiel suddenly has a terrible case of cottonmouth.

As soon as the boy sits, Anna turns her smile to the rest of the table. "Guys, this is Balthazar. His family moved in next door to mine at the start of the summer."

"Oh, we've heard aaalllll about you," Charlie titters.

Balthazar looks pleasantly surprised, intoning, "Oh, have you now?" in the exact same moment Dean deadpans, "We have?"

Anna, for her part, plays the clueless role perfectly. While Castiel, for his part, is sure he's about to spontaneously combust. The thought _definitely hot enough_ runs across his mind before he can stop it.

Balthazar turns that sly smile onto Cas. "You've been talking about me, then? I'm flattered."

Anna looks between them. "You two know each other?"

Castiel kind of wants to throttle Anna in that moment, especially when he glances the ill-concealed amusement in her eyes. Everyone else is too focused on him to notice though.

"Ah, yes. Cassie, here, and I met at that party on Friday night."

Everyone's enjoyment of the conversation is cut short when Dean's voice cuts through the giggles and _oo_'s and _ah_'s. "Wait. What? I thought you went home sick Friday night."

It's like a rock has made it's home in Castiel's stomach as a hush falls over the table, a very large rock named _Guilt Supreme_. _Guilt Supreme_ also seems to have impeded the functioning of Castiel's vocal cords, as all he can do it stare, wide-eyed, back at Dean.

"You're fucking kidding me." When Cas doesn't respond, not because he doesn't want to, but because, for some reason, he can't, Dean continues. "Seriously!? I was worried about you, and you weren't actually sick at all!? You blew us off, your fucking friends, to go hang out with some random dude!? And you were just fucking hungover the next day, I bet! Real classy, Cas!" By the time he's done, Dean is standing up, towering over the whole table.

Everyone is staring at Dean, barely breathing, until Balthazar breaks the silence. "Look, I think you're over-reacting."

Dean turns on him, eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't talk to me! Just don't even start! You don't have a right."

"Dean!" Anna hisses in warning, obviously scandalized at her boyfriend's reaction.

Dean seems completely unaware that she's even spoken, instead throwing accusing looks all around the table. "And you guys all knew!? Right, really funny joke! Let's see how long it takes for neanderthal Dean to figure out we're pulling the wool over his eyes!"

"Dean, it wasn't like that!" Charlie interjects.

"No, you know what, Charlie! Screw you!"

This time it's Dorothy who bites out, "Dean!" arms immediately going around her taken-aback girlfriend.

"Screw all you guys!" And just like that, Dean Winchester is storming out of the cafeteria.

For a beat, no one says anything. Then Balthazar says, "Well, he's certainly pleasant, isn't he?"

"I'm sorry, he's not usually like this. I'll go talk to him." And then Anna is up and leaving, as well.

Cas jumps when he feels a hand on his shoulder, turning to find Charlie looking at him sympathetically. "You okay, Cas?"

It doesn't escape his notice that Dorothy and Balthazar are also wearing the same expression. He bites the inside of his lip, unable to look any of them straight in the eye. It's the only way he can answer, "Yeah, what about you?" without crying like he wants to.


	4. Chapter 4

Not much overlap between this chapter and the last, but... that just means all new content? :D Sorry it took so long to get this out. We'll blame the holidays (and certainly not me, oh goodness no).

Also, thank you to pharocomics for being a lovely beta, as always!

* * *

><p>He'd been worried. Dean had been honest-to-God worried about Cas's health. He'd felt fucking bad for being a shitty friend all summer. He'd planned on doing everything in his power to get Cas to forgive him, and instead, Cas wasn't even sick. Instead, he'd been off gallivanting with some arrogant douche bag! And that is just wrong on so many levels!<p>

"Dean!"

He continues storming down the silent hallway, steadfastly ignoring Anna's call of his name.

"Dean, wait!"

He only stops when she grabs his arm, huffing and puffing from the exertion of catching up with him.

Anna gazes up at him, clear concern and confusion written all over her face. "Dean, what was that?"

Rage wells up in him white and hot, and then he's ripping his arm out of his girlfriend's grasp, rounding on her like a wild, wounded animal. "What was _that_!? I don't know, Anna, you tell me! What the fuck was that!?"

Anna doesn't cower in the face of his wrath, instead she stares up at him, blue eyes like steel as her own anger swells up. "Dean Winchester," her voice is cold and hard, and this suddenly isn't the Anna he knows. This is a whole different Anna, someone strong and fierce, where his Anna has always been soft and collected. "You will under no circumstances speak to me like that." He opens his mouth to protest, apologize, say anything, but she cuts him off. "I don't know what the hell just got into you, but it's unacceptable. You really think you can just go around talking to strangers that way? Talking to _your friends _that way? Charlie and Castiel were about in tears." She never once raises her voice, but he would almost prefer she had, the ice of her tone is far worse than angry shouting could ever be. It's enough to cool him off, to make him start actually taking in what happened.

Dean hangs his head in shame. Meekly, he says, "I just don't get why he'd lie to me."

"That I don't know. You'll have to ask him yourself." Her voice is soft as she answers, hand going to rest on his forearm.

* * *

><p>He never returns to the lunch room. In fact, he doesn't approach anyone at all. It's Charlie who comes up to him at the end of the day as he's at his locker.<p>

"So you done hating everyone?" she asks, and he about jumps out of his skin because she did that thing where she kind of just _appears_, face hovering near his after he closes his locker (he's pretty sure Cas taught her when they were kids because he swears she wasn't always this sneaky).

"I don't hate anyone," he grumbles, shouldering his backpack and heading to the parking lot.

"Yeah, right, because that was an outburst of love earlier," Charlie says sardonically, following closely at his heels.

Dean sighs in exhaustion. "What do you want me to say, Charlie? That my feelings were fucking hurt and I blew up? Well there, I said it."

Charlie whistles lowly before tsking, "Touchy!"

They reach the Impala, and he throws his bag in the backseat before turning to face his best friend. "Look, was there something you wanted? I need to go pick up Sam."

Charlie frowns, and Dean immediately feels like crap again.

"I was just trying to see how you were," she mumbles, eyes downcast.

Dean sighs again, eyes casting up to the sky before returning to look at Charlie. "Look, I'm sorry I've been such an ass. Would you like to come over?"

She smiles brightly. "Yup!"

As she's trotting around to the passenger side of the car, Dean calls after her, "Not in the front seat! That's Sammy's spot, and you know it!"

"Aw maaaan," she whines, and it brings a genuine smile to his face for the first time that day.

* * *

><p>"So legit, what's up with you?" Charlie asks when they're sitting in Dean's room, stuffing potato chips into her mouth.<p>

"Nothing, I'm peachy keen," is his response, immediately followed by a sharp, "Ow! What the hell was that for!?" as Charlie slaps him across his shoulder. It didn't _really_ hurt, but it's the principle of the matter!

"Don't you lie to me, Dean Winchester!"

"I'm not lying!"

Charlie rolls her eyes. "Right, of course, do forgive me. I forget shouting at your friends in the middle of the cafeteria and then storming off is the thing you do when you're _happy_."

He scowls. "What do you want me to say, huh?"

"How about that something is bothering you? Is it really that hard?" she asks in exasperation.

Dean groans in his own exasperation, raking his fingers through his hair as he throws himself back against his bed. "I don't know, okay!?"

Charlie regards him skeptically. "Does it by chance have something to do with a certain blue-eyed, dark-haired, genius boy?"

"No! ...Yes... Maybe... I don't know, Charlie!"

Her expression turns pitying. "Dean, it's okay to be upset that you guys are fighting, you know. You've been best friends since we were four, and I can probably count on one hand the number of fights you guys have been in since then."

His arms flop down beside him as he stares miserably up at the ceiling, feeling completely and utterly lost. "But that's the thing, Charlie. We aren't even fighting. We're just... not talking. I don't get it. I mean... I know I screwed up this summer, but fuck, Charlie! Why didn't he call me out on it?"

"I told you, he wants to see you and Anna happy."

"Bull shit! I don't buy that! Something's up with him, I know it. This isn't like him."

"Does this have something to do with a certain new student that showed up during lunch today?"

Dean narrows his eyes at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She shrugs. "I'm just saying that you kind of lost it when you found out he and Cas were talking, that's all."

"He fucking lied to me, Charlie!"

Charlie holds her hand up in a placating manner. "No, I know that, and that was super lame of him. But... are you mad because he lied to you about being sick this weekend or..." She trails off meaningfully, and Dean just stares at her suspiciously.

"Or what?" he challenges.

Charlie frowns. "Or are you mad that he never told you he batted for the other team?"

Dean full on glares at her. "I'm not a fucking homophobe, Charlie."

She waves her arms back and forth violently in a nixing manner. "No, no, I'm not saying that. I know you aren't, but... I'm just saying... maybe you're feeling hurt because he kept that from you?"

He holds up his glare a moment longer before he finally deflates back against his bed. "Why wouldn't he tell me that, Charlie?"

She frowns in sympathy, sidling up next to him, shoulders brushing. "He didn't tell any of us. Maybe he didn't know?"

Dean blinks up at the ceiling, staring up sightlessly. "Maybe..."

Silence falls between them for a few beats before, softly, Charlie says, "You should talk to him, you know."

Dean bristles. "Why should _I_ talk to _him_? He's the one that lied."

Charlie gives a minute shrug. "I know, but... he thinks you hate him, Dean."

He feels so tired, staring at the ceiling of his room as though it holds all the answers to the universe. Or maybe he just wishes it held the answers to this situation. He doesn't know how things got this bad, and he doesn't really know how to fix them. He doesn't get why Cas would lie or omit things. Aren't they best friends? Aren't they brothers? It drains him to think about too much because he doesn't know if he knows the right answers anymore. But Charlie is right- they do need to talk.

His lips turn up in a small, melancholic smile. "Ya know, for being so smart, Cas sure is an idiot sometimes."

Charlie just smiles in return and bumps her shoulder softly against his.

* * *

><p>Dean gets to school early the next day, hoping to catch Castiel before class starts. They may not be able to hash out their problems in that time, but maybe they can talk enough to get the ball rolling and not make lunch awkward as hell.<p>

Of course, despite it only being the second day of school, Cas is sitting in the library and studying. Dean really doesn't know how Cas and Anna do it, but then again, that's probably why they're top of the class, and he's squarely in the middle.

Dean slides into the seat across from Cas, who seems completely oblivious to the world around him. Only when Dean places a hand over the guy's papers does he startle and look up. Castiel inhales sharply, not quite a gasp, but definitely an expression of surprise.

Dean offers a shaky smile, suddenly really wishing he'd had the foresight to plan something out. Fuck, he needed damn notecards for something like this, which only made him feel worse. This was his best friend sitting across from him, and he had no clue how to even start a conversation.

Castiel squints at him, a pensive expression, and Dean feels the bottom of his stomach fall out.

"This is the library, Dean," Castiel whispers, and Dean is torn between wanting to punch Cas because _he fucking knows it's the library_ and wanting to cry because _of course Cas doesn't want to hear it_.

Dean swallows the lump in his throat and pushes back from the table. "Right. Well, my bad. I'll leave you alone then." He does a pretty fantastic job of keeping the emotion out of his voice, if he does say so himself.

"Wait!" Cas calls, and Dean about jumps out of his skin at the volume of his friend's voice versus the relative silence of the library. Castiel obviously noticed it too if the blush staining his cheeks is anything to go by. Dean raises an eyebrow, a silent gesture of _go on_.

Cas clears his throat, glancing down at his papers and then back up at Dean, the red on his cheeks not abating. "I just... I just mean... Give me a minute to gather my things, and then we can talk outside?" He stares up at Dean, blue eyes wide and questioning and so unsure, just like Dean himself feels. It gives him hope.

This time, when he smiles at Cas, it isn't quite as shaky. "Yeah, sounds good. I'll wait just outside the door."

Castiel smiles, as well, offering a small nod in agreement before Dean walks out of the library, hands stuffed in his pockets and feeling about ten pounds lighter already.

When Castiel comes out of the library not two minutes later, Dean smiles brightly at him, can't help it, he's so relieved. A part of him had been worried Cas might blow him off, go hide in some other corner of the library.

When Cas sees him, he looks like he might cry, eyes all shiny and watery. "I thought... I thought you hated me," he croaks out, "and I wouldn't have blamed you if you did."

If that isn't an arrow straight through Dean's heart, he doesn't know what is. "Dude, no! No way! I don't hate you. Besides, we uh... We both kind of fucked up." He rubs the back of his neck, feeling completely like he's floundering in foreign waters. He's never been the best at the apology thing.

"I'm so sorry for lying to you, Dean,"Castiel says so earnestly, Dean could never think he means the apology any less than 200%.

"And I'm sorry that I blew you off over the summer. I really had no clue. I was an idiot. You need to start calling me on this shit, man. Don't let me get away with crap like that."

Cas nods, smile finally starting to look more parts genuine than nerves. "I will."

They fall into silence, but for once it isn't awkward. Dean feels a warmth in his chest to finally offset the cold loneliness that had settled there late Friday night and remained until just moments ago.

Scuffing the toe of his shoe against the linoleum floor, Castiel finally breaks the silence. "I should probably get back to studying."

Dean blinks, startled out of silence. "Oh! Yeah! Definitely. Go study."

Cas turns to go back into the library, but then stops to look at Dean over his shoulder. His smile sends Dean's heart to skipping beats. "Thank you for coming to talk to me this morning. I hated that we weren't talking."

Dean feels his face heat up, and a kind of dopey smile spreads across his face. "Yeah, same."

Castiel turns back to walk into the library, but Dean's call of, "Hey, Cas!" has him stopping and turning around one more time.

"Yes, Dean?"

"Wanna come hang out after school? Make up for some lost time."

Castiel's smile is brilliant, reaching up and turning on a light in his eyes. "Definitely."

Dean stands there staring after Cas for untold moments before he shakes himself out of his daze and heads to the cafeteria. Maybe someone else he knows came in early too.

* * *

><p>"You seem in a better mood today," Charlie says as she plops down in the seat next to Dean during first period.<p>

Dean can't stop the triumphant grin from spreading over his face. "Sure am!"

Charlie is smiling back knowingly. "Talked to Cas, I take it?"

He nods. "Yep. We're all good. Hanging out this afternoon and everything."

"See!" Charlie exclaims happily, delivering a friendly punch to his arm. "I told you it would all work out."

Dean's smile turns slightly shy as he meets Charlie's eyes. "Thanks. I don't think you realize how much you keep us all together."

Charlie's blush clashes adorably with her hair as she sticks her nose up in the air. "Well, someone has to keep you guys in line. God knows what you'd do without me."

"Fall apart," Dean offers, tone light and joking.

"At the least," Charlie responds primly. When her blush finally fades, she looks back over at Dean, wearing a slightly concerned, slightly serious expression. "Did you guys talk about Balthazar at all?"

He looks back at her in confusion. "No?"

She frowns. "Well... That's okay, I guess?"

Dean lifts his brow speculatively. "You guess?"

"I just... I mean, I kind of thought it might come up?"

"Why would it come up?" Dean's tone is challenging, bordering on confrontational.

Charlie makes a sad attempt at a casual shrug. "Just... I don't know. Considering how lunch went yesterday, I thought maybe it would come up?"

"I wasn't mad about _Balthazar_, Charlie. I was mad that he lied," Dean responds through gritted teeth, all but spitting out the other boys name as though it leaves a foul taste in his mouth.

"If you say so," Charlie says, giving Dean a look and using a tone that indicates she really doesn't believe he means it.

"I say so," Dean grumbles back, slouching a little lower in his seat in an act of juvenile petulance. After all, he really wasn't mad about Balthazar. That doesn't mean he has to like the guy though.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day goes well, other than a minor hiccup during lunch where Dean had to bite his tongue lest he say something rude to Balthazar. Something about the way the guy just sauntered up, say next to Cas, and wrapped his arm around him made Dean's blood boil. Obviously, it was best friend instinct. Balthazar wasn't right for Cas, and it bothered Dean that his best friend didn't see he deserved better. Still, he made it through, and now he found himself in the parking lot, waiting on Cas.<p>

When he finally shows up, Dean goes around to the driver's side. "Way to keep a guy waiting," he jokes.

"Sorry, sorry, had to get the homework for Calculas," Castiel puffs, sliding into the passenger side.

"You damn smart kids and your crazy homework on the second day," Dean chides, wry smile on his face.

"Hey, we don't ask for it," Castiel counters in a reasonable tone.

"I don't know about that. You're the ones crazy enough to sign up for AP courses, after all," Dean says with a shrug and a smirk, watching Cas out of the corner of his eye.

"Shut up and drive, Winchester," Castiel grouses, but Dean can see the shadow of a smile on his face.

"Aye, aye," Dean laughs.

He turns up the music and they drive the rest of the way to Sam's school without a word spoken between them.

"You guys are gonna go deaf, you know that?" is Sam's greeting as he gets into the car.

"Yeah, yeah," Dean grumbles, but he turns down the music all the same.

Leaning up and bracing his arms on the backs of the front seats, Sam grins at Dean and Castiel. "Hey Cas! I haven't seen you in awhile!"

Castiel smiles warmly back. "It's good to see you too, Sam. It looks like you've grown a little?"

"Yep! Hit a growth spurt over the summer!" Sam is beaming as he say it, expression as happy as a puppy with a wagging tail.

Castiel turns to Dean. "Look out, Dean, pretty soon he'll be taller than you."

Dean scoffs. "Yeah right. Don't go giving him delusions of grandeur, Cas." He knows Cas is right now. Sam is already taller than Dean was at that age.

Dean zones into watching the road in front of him as his brother and best friend fall into conversation, and everything finally just feels _right_


End file.
